Jimmy James - A Man Like Me

[Guest Simon]

Does this still get played or is it too far down the worn out oldies road?

Also is it acceptable to play it off EMI or must it be Stateside?

Simon

[Rbman]

I took it with me to Walls Of Heartache last year but not sure if it got played......

[Guest Simon]

I took it with me to Walls Of Heartache last year but not sure if it got played......

Thankyou memory man!

So do you reckon it's still fresh sounding enough to play, Martin, i personally think it's a great tune?

Simon

[Soundsokeh]

gets a few spins at denton british legion , heard it a couple of times there , next northern evening is this friday so you never know !!

[Guest Rich]

Does this still get played or is it too far down the worn out oldies road?

Also is it acceptable to play it off EMI or must it be Stateside?

Simon

The only place I can ever recall it is in Youth Clubs back in the 1970s - and loads of weddings at Shirebrook Miners Welfare

I've been known to shuffle around in Top Hat and Tails to this tune

I have heard Jimmy James version of 'This heart of mine' played out though - but not for a while

[Rbman]

Thankyou memory man!

So do you reckon it's still fresh sounding enough to play, Martin, i personally think it's a great tune?

Simon

I remember digging through lots of old stuff that I thought would go down well with the "Walls" crowd... I liked it when I bought it (late 70s I guess)... and still like it now. Play it Simon.

[Bazza]

I remember digging through lots of old stuff that I thought would go down well with the "Walls" crowd... I liked it when I bought it (late 70s I guess)... and still like it now. Play it Simon.

Hang on ,I'll get me ear plugs ,is this a joke

Bazza

[Guest Simon]

Hang on ,I'll get me ear plugs ,is this a joke

Bazza

Why d'ya say that Bazza, it's a great danceable Northern Soul record imo, was just interested if it was played nowadays or it had been consigned to the memories of Wigan Casino.

Anyway i can't play it as i don't have a copy, i'd quite like to purchase a copy though & was just testing the water to see if people still thought it was relevant or naff, i presume your in the naff camp.

Simon

[John May]

Hang on ,I'll get me ear plugs ,is this a joke

Bazza

I used to have a stateside demo Bazza.........

[Ezzie Brown]

i did have one,bought in70s ill go and have a look for you now!!! ezzie

[Bazza]

Why d'ya say that Bazza, it's a great danceable Northern Soul record imo, was just interested if it was played nowadays or it had been consigned to the memories of Wigan Casino.

Anyway i can't play it as i don't have a copy, i'd quite like to purchase a copy though & was just testing the water to see if people still thought it was relevant or naff, i presume your in the naff camp.

Simon

Must admit Simon,not my cuppa tea

Bazza

[Guest mel brat]

Why d'ya say that Bazza, it's a great danceable Northern Soul record imo, was just interested if it was played nowadays or it had been consigned to the memories of Wigan Casino.

Anyway i can't play it as i don't have a copy, i'd quite like to purchase a copy though & was just testing the water to see if people still thought it was relevant or naff, i presume your in the naff camp.

Simon

Sadly, my own generation might well regard it as a bit "naff", as it was on general release (months BEFORE Wigan even opened) and was played all over the place at regular pop do's etc., rather like "Move On Up". Most of us geriatrics bought it new, so it wasn't really regarded as a viable spin because we all had a copy at home! It got several spins at The Torch in 1973 though I believe. (I haven't heard it for donkey's years, even though I still have a copy somewhere!) I'd say do what you feel. I'd personally love to hear a DJ taking "risks" by playing commercial soul sides occasionally (and not just obviously "Northern" sides either!)

Edited January 24, 2007 by mel brat

[Ezzie Brown]

just found it knew i had it somewhere£5 inc post for uk stateside,excellent condition ercept no original centre EZZIE got 100s from early 70s scene for sale cheap!!!

[Guest Simon]

just found it knew i had it somewhere£5 inc post for uk stateside,excellent condition ercept no original centre EZZIE got 100s from early 70s scene for sale cheap!!!

Have PM'd ya.

Simon

[Bazza]

I used to have a stateside demo Bazza.........

You must have been a sad man John

its a pop record......well it was

Bazza

[Guest Simon]

You must have been a sad man John

its a pop record......well it was

Bazza

Your Madness man avatar is pop Bazza, don't make it bad though!

Simon

[BrianB]

Why d'ya say that Bazza, it's a great danceable Northern Soul record imo, was just interested if it was played nowadays or it had been consigned to the memories of Wigan Casino.

Anyway i can't play it as i don't have a copy, i'd quite like to purchase a copy though & was just testing the water to see if people still thought it was relevant or naff, i presume your in the naff camp.

Simon

Hi Simon,

To the best of my knowledge this was never played in the main room at Wigan Casino.

I know some of you may not believe this, but the early days of the Casino, from 73 to around 75/76, before the invasion of the younger element, was possibly the coolest place to be, and certainly had a great track record of uncovering great new sounds, and in many ways was a Torch spin off.

You had to know who to avoid, you never went to the bogs on your own due to the many rollings that took place, and the average age was around 21-23.

Obviously, as the pace to discover new, danceable tracks became paramount, the musical quality suffered.

But I never heard this played then. It was a divvy-do record and would have been laughed at.

[Lofty]

This was played at Rolls Royce Derby last year, absolute floor filler. Im going to give it a run out one of these days.

Thirty years on it seems a bit harsh to carry on punnishing artist (or at least their memory or cred on the scene) because it was commercially successful at the time? I often wondered if there are any singles that have high cred now that were considered as laughably naff when they were originally released in the States?

Lofty

[Guest mel brat]

Hi Simon,

To the best of my knowledge this was never played in the main room at Wigan Casino.

I know some of you may not believe this, but the early days of the Casino, from 73 to around 75/76, before the invasion of the younger element, was possibly the coolest place to be, and certainly had a great track record of uncovering great new sounds, and in many ways was a Torch spin off...

Speaking personally I'd "given up" on the Casino by the end of 1974! (remember Keith? - and Gary Lewis & The Playboys? - and "Hawaii Five-0"? - and "Soul For Sale"? etc.) Apart from a few, I can't think of many records offhand that were played at the early Casino that hadn't already taken off elsewhere, though I enjoyed the first few months and wouldn't have missed it for the world.

(from 'How to Make Enemies and Influence People' Vol.1!)

P.S. I went to the toilets at Wigan many times on my own without fear of getting "rolled" - though there WAS always a slight worry of drowning!

Edited January 25, 2007 by mel brat

[Pete S]

Jimmy James was a Torch record and then a youth club fixture. Several UK new releases were played at the time - Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee for one...and the Jimmy James record is great anyway, how can anyone slag it off...it's part of the scene's history

[Makemvinyl]

A Man Like Me a Northern Record or not lets all have a vote

FOR Jimmy James a gentleman and a great all round entertainer with a few hit records to

keep him on the circuit aka Edwin Starr was and Geno Washington tried to do recently

AGAINST

nothing down to the individual likes and Dislikes nice tune good brass hook with a strutting danceable beat

will play at The FEZ on Friday

Den remind me to play it And ELSC on Saturday

Mick Cooper play this one at EASC Friday please

[Guest]

Jimmy James was a Torch record and then a youth club fixture. Several UK new releases were played at the time - Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee for one...and the Jimmy James record is great anyway, how can anyone slag it off...it's part of the scene's history

Well said Pete, I agree to say new releases were not viable spins is nonsense..

Esther Philips - Catch Me I'm Falling

Barbara Lynn - Take Your Love And Run

to name two, + Johnny Johnson that's 3 that are now much-loved classics!

Add any more we played as a 70s new release that went on to be collectable?

At Select-a-disc on Saturday morning we couldn't wait to see what was a new release..there was no stigma to new releases..

[Guest mel brat]

This was played at Rolls Royce Derby last year, absolute floor filler. Im going to give it a run out one of these days.

Thirty years on it seems a bit harsh to carry on punnishing artist (or at least their memory or cred on the scene) because it was commercially successful at the time?...

Lofty

I agree. Nothing wrong with so-called "commercial" sounds getting occasional spins, provided they have some credibility with Soul fans. (I regard almost ALL Soul music as "un-commercial", by and large!) The Jimmy James record didn't chart or get many plays on the radio as far as I'm aware, and was quite hard to obtain for a time, despite being on general release, due to EMI not pressing enough to keep up with demand! It WAS a bit poppy though even then - pseudo Motown, a bit like "My Little Chickadee" by Geno Washington (and who remembers that one?!) or Limmie & Family Cookin'. ie. A record we're collectively fond of without it being particularly "cool" to own!

Edited January 25, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest mel brat]

Well said Pete, I agree to say new releases were not viable spins is nonsense..

Add any more we played as a 70s new release that went on to be collectable?...

Jackie Moore - "Both Ends Against The Middle" was another one...

also the Detroit Emeralds' early records on Pye/Janus, though not played (or collectable!) had considerable Northern appeal (remember the Damon Shawn version of "Feel The Need"?) Newby & Johnson, Patti Austin on CBS, "One Night Affair" by Jerry Butler and the aforementioned "Move On Up" ...all new UK releases that appealed to us Northerners for obvious reasons!

Edited January 25, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest mel brat]

A Man Like Me a Northern Record or not lets all have a vote...

It's definitely a "Northern" record simply due to it's Motown style production and Jimmy James' credibility, however I'd have to put it down as a "Tailor made" as is the Johnny Johnson side mentioned!

Edited January 25, 2007 by mel brat

[Rbman]

just found it knew i had it somewhere£5 inc post for uk stateside,excellent condition ercept no original centre EZZIE got 100s from early 70s scene for sale cheap!!!

Well list 'em and post it up................

[Guest Carl Dixon]

I think 'A man like me' is a great UK production, written and produced by Biddu. He wrote and produced other great catchy numbers in the early 70's like 'Stop what you're doing'/The Playthings and if my memory serves me, 'Honey Bee'/Johnny Johnson was him as well. Has any body heard (if my memory serves me again) 'Please don't leave me standing (in the pouring rain)'/The Showstoppers on Beacon Records? That is another of Biddu's catchy numbers from about 1972.

I think 'A man like me' reaches a very high bar in terms of UK productions of that era and sound. The orchestration,melody and call & response are top. Biddu should be proud, as am I - I have two Stateside copies in good nick! I knew of the track well before I knew the term Northern Soul, so to me it is a good catchy soul number. I think it is the best work Jimmy James ever did because it is an original song and not a cover.

Edited January 25, 2007 by Carl Dixon

[Bazza]

Jimmy James was a Torch record and then a youth club fixture. Several UK new releases were played at the time - Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee for one...and the Jimmy James record is great anyway, how can anyone slag it off...it's part of the scene's history

I have always thought of it as a pop record ,I feel sure it was a minor hit in the charts around 71/72.as for a "nothern" tune,nah never was or will be,many tunes were played in the early years that would not be classed as "northern" these days,then again,none of the tunes were known as "northern" back then,

I recone it would go down like a led balloon if it was played today,I have been known to be wrong tho'

Bazza

Edited January 25, 2007 by bazza

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Jimmy James was a Torch record and then a youth club fixture. Several UK new releases were played at the time - Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee for one...and the Jimmy James record is great anyway, how can anyone slag it off...it's part of the scene's history

Hear, hear Pete - I often spin it it at home for a bit of a sing song, it's hardly the apex of creative soulfulness but so what. I bet the boys on the Beach music scene have never blanked it because it was a conscious attempt to make a record in the Northern style, rather than some obscure flop that sold three copies when it came out and two of them were to the singers mum and dad...

Incidentally, I'm still surprised that Biddu (writer-producer) never sued Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight Runners for shamelessly stealing 'A Man Like Me''s chorus and inserting it, virtually note for note, into the chorus of the extremely wretched "Come On Eileen"'. Or perhaps he did and the matter was settled out of court?

OK, if you'll 'scuse me, I think I'll go and give JJ what must be his millionth spin right now!

TONE

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Tony - I agree about Dexy's. Spotted that the first time I heard the record.

[oldsteve woomble]

Anyway i can't play it as i don't have a copy, i'd quite like to purchase a copy though & was just testing the water to see if people still thought it was relevant or naff, i presume your in the naff camp.

Simon

That's got to be an unusual way of deciding your record purchases?? If you like it, buy it. If you don't, then don't. Same goes for spinning it out. Bollocks to worrying about what anyone else thinks. Get it bought (if you like it) get it played (if you like it). The worse that can happen is that people won't dance but at least you'll have tried something a bit unexpected.

If it don't work then you could always do what my old mate Teddy Couldstone did when we were djing together at Louth town Hall about 15 years ago.He put Lorraine Johnson 'Full Time Groover' on, it cleared the floor so he stopped it after about 15 seconds, took it off the decks and threw it into the crowd with a cry of 'whoever wants that pile of shit can have it'. Top geezer....... It's probably still there to this day.....

Happy days

Steve

[Guest Simon]

That's got to be an unusual way of deciding your record purchases?? If you like it, buy it. If you don't, then don't. Same goes for spinning it out. Bollocks to worrying about what anyone else thinks. Get it bought (if you like it) get it played (if you like it). The worse that can happen is that people won't dance but at least you'll have tried something a bit unexpected.

Steve

Hi Steve,

I was going to buy it & play it as i do with all records i buy as i believe in them, i was just interested at the same time to see people views on the tune.

Btw noone has answered the bit about whether it's acceptable to play the EMI copy or is this classed as a reissue?

Simon

[Ezzie Brown]

Well list 'em and post it up................

might just do that, theres around 400 from 70 to 75 scene, no biggies left, all sold or im keeping them,all the records mentioned in this series of posts are available ,mostly £5 or less, just ask & i will have a look, eg both ends against .... all the small 45 okeh 2nd issues £10 each honey bee ..etc anyone want to buy the lot ? gotta buy POPCORN!!!!!

[Guest]

It's definitely a "Northern" record simply due to it's Motown style production and Jimmy James' credibility, however I'd have to put it down as a "Tailor made" as is the Johnny Johnson side mentioned!

"however I'd have to put it down as a "Tailor made" as is the Johnny Johnson side mentioned! "

Don't think in those days anyone was making records for the Northern Soul scene..(wasn't even called NOrthern then) that came later when Soussan, Russ, Colin Bee & Kev Roberts thought that was a cool idea.

It was wrote by Biddu if I remember right, he was responsible for TONS of great records that were acceptable to soul collectors, he also did some crass Pop. I wouldn't have thought Biddu would have sat down and thought those soul boys & gals will play this at the clubs if I write it like that. It was just a damn good record sung by an undisputed "soul" artist. In 1972 I can't recall the word "tailor made".

One little quirk with the Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee - a huge tune at the Torch, was years later in the 90s it was flipped over to reveal an amazing CROSSOVER dancer. I doubt if that this 1972 "tailor-made" CROSSOVER side could have been recorded especially for us, unless "Biddu" had a time machine, of coarse.

Edited January 25, 2007 by john manship

[Dave Morris]

Simon,

Steve Lyons always played this at Cagneys and they all used to dance.Buy it and play it when you dj at Bournemouth Uni do and see what reaction you get.

Dave

[Pete S]

"however I'd have to put it down as a "Tailor made" as is the Johnny Johnson side mentioned! "

Don't think in those days anyone was making records for the Northern Soul scene..(wasn't even called NOrthern then) that came later when Soussan, Russ, Colin Bee & Kev Roberts thought that was a cool idea.

It was wrote by Biddu if I remember right, he was responsible for TONS of great records that were acceptable to soul collectors, he also did some crass Pop. I wouldn't have thought Biddu would have sat down and thought those soul boys & gals will play this at the clubs if I write it like that. It was just a damn good record sung by an undisputed "soul" artist. In 1972 I can't recall the word "tailor made".

One little quirk with the Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee - a huge tune at the Torch, was years later in the 90s it was flipped over to reveal an amazing CROSSOVER dancer. I doubt if that this 1972 "tailor-made" CROSSOVER side could have been recorded especially for us, unless "Biddu" had a time machine, of coarse.

I once saw Biddu's original acetate for Marble & Iron come up for sale, thought it would be quite exciting, turns out it was his songwriter demo and was almost acoustic!

[Guest Simon]

Simon,

Steve Lyons always played this at Cagneys and they all used to dance.Buy it and play it when you dj at Bournemouth Uni do and see what reaction you get.

Dave

Will do Dave, i allways said that Steve Lyons was a quality dj!

Simon

[Guest Netspeaky]

Jimmy James was a Torch record and then a youth club fixture. Several UK new releases were played at the time - Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee for one...and the Jimmy James record is great anyway, how can anyone slag it off...it's part of the scene's history

Correct Pete, some people have short memories or were too young. Also agree with JM no sure thing as tailor made northern, the word hadn't been coined then. Edited January 25, 2007 by Netspeaky

[45cellar]

Jimmy James was a Torch record and then a youth club fixture. Several UK new releases were played at the time - Johnny Johnson - Honey Bee for one...and the Jimmy James record is great anyway, how can anyone slag it off...it's part of the scene's history

Hear, hear Pete - I often spin it it at home for a bit of a sing song, it's hardly the apex of creative soulfulness but so what. I bet the boys on the Beach music scene have never blanked it because it was a conscious attempt to make a record in the Northern style, rather than some obscure flop that sold three copies when it came out and two of them were to the singers mum and dad...

Incidentally, I'm still surprised that Biddu (writer-producer) never sued Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight Runners for shamelessly stealing 'A Man Like Me''s chorus and inserting it, virtually note for note, into the chorus of the extremely wretched "Come On Eileen"'. Or perhaps he did and the matter was settled out of court?

OK, if you'll 'scuse me, I think I'll go and give JJ what must be his millionth spin right now!

TONE

I went to see Jimmy James Locally in the 70's, enjoyed his performance, we went to have a word with him after the show.

Always liked "A Man Like Me". It certainly filled the Dance Floor at the time. It's Not Rare, but It still Deserves it's place in any Northern collection.

A Man Like Me - Jimmy James - Stateside -

4914 refosoul

Edited January 26, 2007 by 45cellar

[Guest mel brat]

Correct Pete, some people have short memories or were too young. Also agree with JM no sure thing as tailor made northern, the word hadn't been coined then....

Just because the particular Expression "tailor-made" hadn't been coined in 1972, doesn't mean no one had thought of making records with a Motownesque beat that appealed to dancers in the North! Remember lots of Sixties oldies were being re-issued at the time, and some of them were making the pop charts. Biddu would hardly have been unaware of this development, (whether he called them "Northern" or not is irrelevant), just as he would later attempt to produce records with a 'Disco' beat - and remember there was no alternative 'dance' scene in 1972. Of COURSE it's a "tailor-made" in that sense! Tailor-made with a dance beat, just like John Miles' "One Minute Every Hour" etc., except that some were accepted as bone-fide 'Northern Soul' spins and some weren't! The Jimmy James record is borderline pop-soul, hoping to capture radio airtime as well as dancehall action, (and nothing wrong with that)

Incidently, Producer Biddu, you may recall wasn't averse to attempting "tailor mades" in 1975/6 when he released "Northern Soul Dancer" (EPIC), only for the flip side ("Summer Of 42" was it?) to get spins instead...

Edited January 27, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest mel brat]

That's got to be an unusual way of deciding your record purchases?? If you like it, buy it. If you don't, then don't. Same goes for spinning it out. Bollocks to worrying about what anyone else thinks. Get it bought (if you like it) get it played (if you like it). The worse that can happen is that people won't dance but at least you'll have tried something a bit unexpected.

If it don't work then you could always do what my old mate Teddy Couldstone did when we were djing together at Louth town Hall about 15 years ago.He put Lorraine Johnson 'Full Time Groover' on, it cleared the floor so he stopped it after about 15 seconds, took it off the decks and threw it into the crowd with a cry of 'whoever wants that pile of shit can have it'. Top geezer....... It's probably still there to this day.....

Happy days

Steve

So according to that charming little anecdote, Jimmy James "A Man Like Me" is possibly a contender, while Bill Brandon & Lorraine Johnson's - "...Full Time Groover" is suddenly "a pile of shit" if people choose not to dance to it???! What a strange world some Northern Soul fans inhabit!

[Guest mel brat]

I doubt if that this 1972 "tailor-made" CROSSOVER side could have been recorded especially for us, unless "Biddu" had a time machine, of coarse...

This is a nonsense statement. The flip to "Honey Bee" was merely recorded in a contemporary 1972 style, 30 years later the rhythm of which the North has come to regard as "desirable" and eminently suitable for it's quirky dancefloor mores - (so what else is new?) I wasn't knocking Biddu particularly, and have already said I bought the Jimmy James side as a new release and still have it, but it remains in the "pop-soul" category to me.

Edited January 27, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest]

This is a nonsense statement. The flip to "Honey Bee" was merely recorded in a contemporary 1972 style, 30 years later the rhythm of which the North has come to regard as "desirable" and eminently suitable for it's quirky dancefloor mores - (so what else is new?) I wasn't knocking Biddu particularly, and have already said I bought the Jimmy James side as a new release and still have it, but it remains in the "pop-soul" category to me.

Sorry I offended you, please except my sincere unreserved apologises.

I mistakenly saw it as just another case of "Elevating your own status, by knocking a record 1000s have enjoyed, owned and danced to; a cornerstone in the developement of the UKs unique soul music scene. On grounds of it drew from Motown (who didn't), it was by a UK based artist and was a new release in 1972"

Actually Jimmy James "Man Like Me" has given me more personal pleasure and memories, than some of the most revered soul recordings.

This is an area of the subject we should NOT be discussing, otherwise we'll be covering the the validity of evicting certain 45s from your collection on grounds of race, source and rarity.

Mary Saxton jumps to mind..wow how her legendary producer could make a "tailor-made" and get an apparently eastern-european to sing Motownesque tunes brilliantly. Was Gary Paxton the first producer to do "tailor-mades"?

Once again sorry if my "nonsense" comment offended you.

[Guest mel brat]

Sorry I offended you, please except my sincere unreserved apologises.

I mistakenly saw it as just another case of "Elevating your own status, by knocking a record 1000s have enjoyed, owned and danced to; a cornerstone in the developement of the UKs unique soul music scene. On grounds of it drew from Motown (who didn't), it was by a UK based artist and was a new release in 1972"

Actually Jimmy James "Man Like Me" has given me more personal pleasure and memories, than some of the most revered soul recordings.

This is an area of the subject we should NOT be discussing, otherwise we'll be covering the the validity of evicting certain 45s from your collection on grounds of race, source and rarity.

Mary Saxton jumps to mind..wow how her legendary producer could make a "tailor-made" and get an apparently eastern-european to sing Motownesque tunes brilliantly. Was Gary Paxton the first producer to do "tailor-mades"?

Once again sorry if my "nonsense" comment offended you.

[Guest mel brat]

Sorry I offended you, please except my sincere unreserved apologises.

I mistakenly saw it as just another case of "Elevating your own status, by knocking a record 1000s have enjoyed, owned and danced to; a cornerstone in the developement of the UKs unique soul music scene. On grounds of it drew from Motown (who didn't), it was by a UK based artist and was a new release in 1972"

Actually Jimmy James "Man Like Me" has given me more personal pleasure and memories, than some of the most revered soul recordings.

This is an area of the subject we should NOT be discussing, otherwise we'll be covering the the validity of evicting certain 45s from your collection on grounds of race, source and rarity.

Mary Saxton jumps to mind..wow how her legendary producer could make a "tailor-made" and get an apparently eastern-european to sing Motownesque tunes brilliantly. Was Gary Paxton the first producer to do "tailor-mades"?

Once again sorry if my "nonsense" comment offended you.

What exactly is so offensive with voicing the opinion that Biddu "may" have tailored some of his productions towards the dancefloor? Apparently, I have "attempted to "elevate (my) own status, by knocking a record 1000s have enjoyed, owned and danced to..."? Where did I write anything about only admiring "rarity" in a recording? The vast majority of my own all-time favourite recordings are not in any way "rare" or "exclusive" and are unlikely to ever find their way onto any auction site.

If you had simply bothered to read my earlier comments on the record John, you would have seen that far from "evicting it from my record collection" (the contents of which you know nothing) I have no real objection to the Jimmy James record at all. I bought it as a new release and still own it. I have not to my knowledge said anything detrimental in regard to Jimmy James as a singer, or indeed Biddu's production skills. I appreciate that you are personally fond of the record, and I would similarly leap to the defence of a record that I particularly admire, however I would hope to actually READ what was said before reacting in such a hysterical manner.

Edited January 27, 2007 by mel brat

[Guest in town Mikey]

Well it appears that JJ is just as valid as every other record ever played at a 'Northern Soul' venue.

And like 99% of the records played in these places some of the people will like it. Others wont.

On these grounds it deserves an airing if you think your set, and the evening warrants it.

Sometimes Djs can be criricised (I think) by being too hung up on playing the latest few 'big' tunes of the day. Result? The same handful of records are played at lots of venues, and very similar sets played by DJ X DJ Y and DJZ. etc etc.

So much so the 'progressive' venues at the time suffer from a Northern Soul Top 500 problem where the songs become over played, repeated many times in one evening and stale.

Chucking in JJ or April Stevens may not be as 'cutting Edge' as dropping a Margaret Little. But I'd wager it will make a healthy percentage of the room sit up and listen.

Mick Smith dropped - Aint no mountain high enough at the 100 one night. That Girl Lynne dropped - Stoned love. The reaction to both was like chucking a grenade into the seats, and blowing everyone onto the dance floor. Superb.

Edited January 28, 2007 by in town Mikey

[Guest]

What exactly is so offensive with voicing the opinion that Biddu "may" have tailored some of his productions towards the dancefloor? Apparently, I have "attempted to "elevate (my) own status, by knocking a record 1000s have enjoyed, owned and danced to..."? Where did I write anything about only admiring "rarity" in a recording? The vast majority of my own all-time favourite recordings are not in any way "rare" or "exclusive" and are unlikely to ever find their way onto any auction site.

If you had simply bothered to read my earlier comments on the record John, you would have seen that far from "evicting it from my record collection" (the contents of which you know nothing) I have no real objection to the Jimmy James record at all. I bought it as a new release and still own it. I have not to my knowledge said anything detrimental in regard to Jimmy James as a singer, or indeed Biddu's production skills. I appreciate that you are personally fond of the record, and I would similarly leap to the defence of a record that I particularly admire, however I would hope to actually READ what was said before reacting in such a hysterical manner.

Calm down, and read the quote..

"I mistakenly saw it as just another case of "Elevating your own status, by knocking a record 1000s have enjoyed, owned and danced to"

I'm not "fond" of the record, but I do appreciate it was a stepping stone for youngsters from the Youth Club (as Pete mentioned) to the a wider field of soul music, and as such was a catalyst in making the UK soul movement stronger.

[Modernsoulsucks]

I remember both Jimmy James and Johnny Johnson [got played more I think] at the Torch but I wasn't keen. Only my opinion but compared to say the popular 45s like Eddie Parker or Rose Battiste they sounded very flat and sing-a-long in a club.

"Sometimes Djs can be criricised (I think) by being too hung up on playing the latest few 'big' tunes of the day. Result? The same handful of records are played at lots of venues, and very similar sets played by DJ X DJ Y and DJZ. etc etc."

Back in early 70's I think, and maybe others who were there could confirm, all the DJs played basically the same big 45s but the high turnover stopped it from becoming stale. At one time as soon as a 45 was pressed it was pretty worthless. It was maybe Ian at the Mecca and later Richard at the Casino that started the exclusive to one spot idea.

That's just my take on it and it was 30 years ago so memory can play tricks.

ROD

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

i actually rate this tune and i have never heard it out here for some time prob once in about 7 years but deserves more plays. I am a big Jimmy James fan and it's one of hos songs he sings in his set list these days still a great record

Jimmy James is still one of the best and not only that but a great person when you meet him although was funny when he said to me about can you record the cd i had of his music cause it was deleted and he hadn't got a copy so i had to copy it and send him it in the post nice little funny story

[Guest]

I like the other side.